Note that the @shawndoggy voltage chart referenced by @Bozboat above is resting voltage.  Fully charge the battery and let it rest for at least thirty minutes off the charger and then test the voltage.

My vote is that the bendix is fine but the commutator is full of carbon from the brushes.  The power of the starter is much less when the commutator resistance from pole to pole is not high enough.  Of course, it is a great idea to lube the bendix while you have the starter out.

1 hour ago, cowwboy said:

https://www.wakegarage.com/projects-archive/diy-surf-devices/surf-tabs-and-gates-r323/

boom!  thanks.  I'd like to see someone do this on a more current hull design Malibu or Axis with full size gates.  The poster there in WG (who I now really admire, btw) noted "I believe that a taller gate and/or more bow weight could help the wave in this configuration."  His gates are quite a bit smaller than OEM surfgates. 

Takeaway there for me is there is NO way my wife would figure out all the buttons and inputs necessary to operate that setup.  

Yea, Lake Elmo is about your only source for handle parts.  I do about half the rope/handle building/maintenance for our show team.  If you want good non/low-stretch rope for a reasonable price, then the TAC line Lake Elmo sells is the best bang for the buck (good stuff for basically everything but slalom).  You can go Spectra too, but that gets pricy and not as easy to source.  Slalom rope, however, is the only line I won't bother putting together.  I like S-lines for that - high quality, reasonable price. 

If you're building handles for slalom, I've taken to tubing from the V to the loop (anywhere the ski can touch during a start) (good for barefoot ropes too - easier on the feet on starts).  The top bevel on many of the newer carbon skis can be really sharp and damaging to a bare rope.  For tubing, any old 3/8" vinyl (ID) from the hardware store is fine, capped with the tube ends that Lake Elmo sells, or buy a bag from McMaster and punch your own holes (McMaster vinyl caps).  Aluminum knitting needles with the end cut off at a 45 make good fids for rope/handle building.

20 minutes ago, chill8888 said:

so a bad battery would give the symptoms of what I've got going on?? you can hear the starter turning freely, but not engaging when you hit the button, and all other electronics are working

 

 

Probably not, but it's easy to check before you remove parts.

15 minutes ago, chill8888 said:

so a bad battery would give the symptoms of what I've got going on?? you can hear the starter turning freely, but not engaging when you hit the button, and all other electronics are working

 

 

If the battery is not strong enough to spin the starter at the correct speed, the gear on the end of the starter might not engage the flywheel.  Checking the battery is a way of ruling out that problem.   It is more likely to be the starter bendix due to age or dirt/grease.